1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sweetener composition which is a codried composition consisting essentially of acid saccharin and a halodeoxysugar compound. The sweetener is especially designed for use in comestible compositions which require prolonged release of sweetness values in the oral cavity of the user thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Other Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,170 discloses that synergistic sweetening compositions may be prepared from a bitter tasting intense sweetening agent such as saccharin, stevioside or acesulphame-K [6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3K)-one,2,2-dioxide]and a chlorodeoxy sugar. The resulting compositions provide a higher level of sweetness than would be expected by combining the sweetness properties of the two materials. The compositions of U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,170 are disclosed as being useful in various products such as foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, chewing gum and the like. The compositions of U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,170 are prepared by either dry mixing the two components thereof together, or by extending them with a solid or liquid carrier. The results disclosed in the patent indicate that it is necessary to use about 1:1 ratio of the two materials in order to obtain the optimum synergistic effect. This synergistic effect, however, is limited to an "up-front" type of sweetening effect which is obtained upon the immediate use of the composition. There is no evidence that any combination of the two sweetening materials, in any form, would provide for any prolonged sweetening effects under any use conditions.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4228198 and 4292336 disclose the use of codried admixtures of thaumatin and/or monellin with saccharin and a carrier such as arabinogalactan or gelatin. In such compositions the thaumatin and/or monellin and saccharin are used at weight ratios to each other of about 1-4:10. The arabinogalactan of U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,198 is used, in part, to minimize sweetness duration and aftertaste. The gelatin of U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,336 is used to promote the heat stability of peptide sweeteners such as monellin and thaumatin.
In a copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 918,403, filed Oct. 14, 1986, in the names of J.J. Stroz et al. and entitled Sweetener Composition, there is disclosed, as a novel sweetening agent composition, thaumatin and/or monellin codried on acid saccharin to provide a non-caloric sweetener for use in comestibles such as chewing gum to provide prologed sweetness in such products without an aftertaste from either the thaumatin/monellin or acid saccharin.
Heretofore, when halodeoxysugars and saccharin have been used together to avoid saccharin aftertaste problems, these two sweeteners have usually had to be used with extenders of one type or another, and at relavely high ratios of the halodeoxysugar sweetener to the saccharin.
Thus, prior to the present invention it has not been possible to effectively use the halodeoxysugar sweeteners together with acid saccharin at a low weight ratio of the halodeoxy sugar sweetener to the acid saccharin and/or without the need for any additional sweetness modifying compound and/or carrier therefor.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a means for employing halodeoxysugar sweeteners at relatively low levels of usage with acid saccharin while still obtaining relatively prolonged flavor release thereof, and avoidance of any undesirable aftertaste from the saccharin.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a means for employing acid saccharin with halodeoxysugar sweeteners without encountering aftertaste problems normally associated with the use of saccharin.